The Catholic News Agency got access to a statement through his private secretary, Archbishop Georg Ganswin, who said the error was “not made with malicious intent,” but was “the result of an error in the editorial processing of his statement”. For an independent inquiry commissioned by the Archdiocese of Freising.
He was “very sorry” for this and asked to be forgiven, Ganswin said.
Benedict XVI, known as Joseph Ratzinger before becoming pope, plans to issue a detailed statement at a later date, Ganswin said, asking Benedict to understand that the entirety of the 1,900-page report. Review still needs time.
The statement added that reading the report so far leaves victims with “shame and pain about the agony”.
Benedict, now 94, became the first pope to resign in centuries, when he stepped down in 2013.
His tenure was fueled by a global sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church and the findings of investigators – who now directly implicate him in his failure to prevent and punish abuses – threaten to ruin the former pontiff’s reputation.
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